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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Crazy Crabbers Top 20 Prospects: Francisco Peguero

Ranking Francisco Peguero number four on my Giants top prospects list is probably one the bolder jumps that I took compared to others. Most people will have him lower and while I understand that line of thinking his combination of tools and the immense ceiling that comes with them was enough for me to look past some of the red flags.

He has plus or above average ratings in all five of the scouting tools (hitting, power, fielding, arm strength and speed) and to boot he was able to actually put up a decent offensive season (.340 wOBA) in the very hitter challenging Eastern League.

So why isn't Peguero regarded as a better prospect? Well it is because he is allergic to taking a walk with an ultra aggressive hitting approach. This isn't a problem for him when he can hit above .300 but when he falls into a slump he is offensive value drops to nearly zero.

Peguero has a lot going for him but also some pretty big red flags that hurt is overall ranking. (This will be a reoccurring theme as we go through the next few prospects)

Best Tool: Peguero has many nice tools to choose from but his best tool is his ability to hit for a high average. His ability to make solid contact on a consistent basis in combination with his above average speed have allowed Peguero to post a career .312 batting average in the minors.

Needs to work on: The big thing for Peguero to work on is his patience, it hasn't hurt him too much in the lower minors but as the level of pitching increases it is something that could be taken advantage of. With his contact ability and speed he doesn't need to totally overhaul his approach but refine it so that he harnesses his aggressiveness into pitches that he can drive and to help boost his offensive output for when the balls he puts in play don't fall for hits.

Ceiling: Peguero probably has one of the highest ceilings of any of the Giants prospects where his gap power and speed project really well for the spacious outfields of AT&T Park and the other NL West ball parks. Adding in above average defense and he could potentially blossom into an All-Star caliber player.
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